


One-Shots

by Hurricane2813



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Blood and Gore, Language, Multi, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-05-12 22:49:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19238677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hurricane2813/pseuds/Hurricane2813
Summary: A collection of my TMNT one-shots





	1. Sleeping With the Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> To avoid cluttering purposes and to perhaps increase the views on my one-shots, I've decided to put them all together as a multi-chapter sort of thing. Although each story will be a bit different and take place in different universes, most of them will probably involve a lot of Raph/Leo pairings since they're obviously my OTP. I've seen other writers do it and I thought it was a great idea!
> 
> This first one takes place in an AU where Saki had taken Leo as an infant and raised him as his own.

“One day he’s going to find out about us.” A baritone voice warned in the late night. Heavy with sensuality, making the cool air fog with his warm breath. “Then he’s going to kill us.” 

“I know.” Answered another male voice, lower and rougher than the first, but equally as carnal. “Do you think I care?”

“No. Of course not.” The first voice chuckled, his eyes as rich as chocolate, barely detectable as they rolled beneath a black mask.

“Exactly, and you shouldn’t either.” The second voice said. A callused, three fingered hand gently caressing his companion’s bicep while his lips kissed a feather like path down a thick neck to his collarbones, drawing out a pleasured hum.

“You underestimate my father, Raphael. He’s dangerous. The things he would do if he knew his own son was deceiving him.” 

“He’s not going to find out, Leo.” Raph snapped harsher than he intended but it gave him the results he wanted anyway. Leonardo’s mouth shut reluctantly, but his eyes narrowed as the pleasure slowly abandoned them. No. He couldn’t have that.

Raph lowered his head again and slowly began to kiss a new path back up Leo’s neck to his ear. He could feel the other mutant shudder beneath him, making him smile.

“He’s gotten close.” Leo whispered; his voice hoarse.

“So, what do you want to do? Stop seeing each other?” Raph breathed in his ear. His hot breath causing goosebumps to spring along Leo’s arms. “You know I can’t allow that.”

“No. I wasn’t going to say that, but we can try to be a little more careful. Or is that asking too much?” 

Raph chuckled at his partners irritation. It was so easy to ruffle Leo’s feathers it had turned into a game for him. Leo didn’t like it nearly as much, but he never tried to stop him.

“And how do you suggest we do that?” Raph asked and bit a slice of that forest green flesh hard enough to make the turtle below him gasp but not enough to leave a mark. Given their separate lifestyles, they couldn’t afford to leave such evidence behind. Raph sucked on his skin, drawing the blood beneath to the surface.

Leo thumped him on the shell. “Marks.” He reminded him sternly. Reluctantly, he released him, leaving behind a small hickey that would fade away by morning. He breathed across the damp skin and felt another shiver rake through the smaller body.

“Maybe we should start cutting this meet up a bit shorter.” Leo suggested, returning to the topic at hand. “I’m not usually a late sleeper until recently. He’s bound to have noticed.”

Raph growled his displeasure and Leo smirked, leaning in to return a few of his own kisses against the darker pine green skin. “No.”

“You have any better ideas?”

Raph scowled at him in the dark, but asked, “How much?”

Leo paused a moment to think about it. “Four hours?”

“No.” Raph snarled.

“Three hours?”

“One hour.”

“Two hours and no less.” Leo retorted sternly.

Raph pursed his lips. “. . . One and a half.”

Leo burst into laughter then nodded and said, “Fine. We’ll leave one hour and thirty minutes earlier. Happy?”

“No, but I’ll deal.” Raph shrugged. Then slowly grinned a devilish grin. A fire in his golden eyes scorching Leo to his soul. “Now, are we done talking? I think I can fit one more round in before dawn.”

Leo raised a doubtful brow. “With how quick you finish? You can probably fit several more.”

“We’ll see about that.” Raph leered and tugged Leo’s hips to him making the leaner mutants head fall back from his shoulders and moan joyously into the New York air. 

 

Five months ago, Oroku Saki, Leonardo’s father, and Shredder to his enemies, had given him an order to kill the ones that looked like him. Mutant, turtle-human hybrids, trained as ninjas and raised as sons by a nemesis called Splinter but had previously been known as Hamato Yoshi.

Leonardo had bowed and accepted the task without question, but when it came time to act he had hesitated. He couldn’t help himself. He wanted to know who they were. How they came to be. If . . . maybe . . . there was some chance they were related to him. He didn’t care about the rat. More then likely the rat had stolen his siblings from him. IF they were related. But the three mutants . . . they were victims. Corrupted by Yoshi’s filthy lies. It didn’t feel right to punish THEM because fate had chosen to save only him.

However, he realized that Saki would never see it like that. He would only see it as Leonardo disobeying a direct order and would have him punished mercilessly until he learned properly. He didn’t need to learn. Not when he already knew.  
The three mutants were nothing but obstacles in Saki’s road to victory that Leo needed to remove.

So, for three nights, he had followed them during their routinely patrols. Studying and learning about them. Snuffing out their weaknesses and there was an abundance of them. He found out that the largest of the group, the one who wore a red mask in similar fashion as he, was the eldest brother and the leader of their team that went by the name Raphael. The taller, lankier one that wore a purple mask and talked in scientific gibberish was Donatello. And the smallest and slightly chubbier one that wore an orange mask and seemed to have two bricks short of a load, was Michelangelo.

They each had unique, sole personalities which they never hesitated to display even in the midst of an attack. They constantly taunted and teased each other. Throwing jokes back and forth and playing when they shouldn’t be playing. They listened to Raphael who gave orders with authority, but he never stopped them when they started goofing off such as the time when they played baseball with a Kraang robots head.

Shredder would never let them do that. With good reason. Being so distracted? So exposed? It would get them killed! So why would he ever envy them and their freedom? He would live longer then they ever would. Survival was everything and they clearly had no respect for life. 

Leo continued this mantra throughout his observations.

Then, one night, the eldest, Raphael, had abandoned the safety confines of his home, alone. Intrigued by this development, Leo had followed. They ran for miles upon rooftops. Neither of them slowing or tiring until they reached the end of the city where the harbor was and the Atlantic Ocean, black as tar, blended into the night sky.

Leo had taken the opportunity to attack at that moment, but what he hadn’t known at the time, was Raphael had been fully aware of his presence since he exited the sewer. Had known of his presence since he began his stake out of them.

Twin sais had met twin katanas and they fought savagely until the sky lightened. Neither had won that night. Both of them parting ways to lick their wounds.

Leo would have been lying if he said Raphael hadn’t fascinated him that night. He underestimated the mutant’s ability to hold his own against an experienced opponent. Next time, he had vowed to himself, he wouldn’t make the same mistake. 

However, next time proved to be just as fruitless as they rendezvous at the same location to resume their battle. Only for it to end in the same sweaty, bloody results. It was almost . . . amusing, in a way he couldn’t explain. How one mutant, so different from him, could equal him in strength and skill. He wondered if Raph thought the same about him and laughed as he stumbled home, leaving a trail of his blood behind him.

The third time he had silently followed the three during their patrols, watching Raphael in particular for possible exploits he could use against him. It had startled him when Raphael suddenly glanced up behind him to where Leo was perched out of sight, smiled and winked at him while his brothers wrestled around in the distance. He had asked him how in the hell he knew he was there only for the turtle to smirk and reply, “You have a loud presence.”

The other two never noticed him and he had dismissed that judgement quickly.

That night, the next night, and several nights after that, all ended without a winner. Always leaving the other alive enough to make it home and come back tomorrow for another round. Soon, Leonardo’s mission morphed into some sort of game where the fun part was not the winning. Both looked forward to it every day, this secret meeting their families knew nothing about. It had turned from something Leo needed to do to something he needed to have. A relaxant. A diversion.

Then, one night, Leo couldn’t remember which one, Raph had beaten him.

This turn of events had been unexpected to say the least. If there ever was a close winner it had to have been Leo but this time, he had been off his game, and ended up somehow beneath the larger mutant’s body. He hadn’t been able to fight back so thoroughly pinned to the ground he was, and the cocky son of bitch had laughed at him. It had pissed him off to a level Leo hadn’t known he could reach and then, without even thinking, he had sat up with his only defense left and shut Raph’s gloating mouth with his own.

It was satisfying, he admits, seeing the shock on Raph’s face and it had distracted him as he intended enough for Leo to escape. Raph had claimed it as cheating but since they never applied any rules, the argument did not hold.

When they parted in the morning, they agreed to never speak of that night again, but Leo should have known he had opened a door he could never go back through.

A few nights later, their battle had ended with them both laying on the ground, tired and injured, staring silently up at the night sky. Raphael had sat up on his elbow and looked down at him with his signature cocky grin. He had been about to make a sarcastic comment when Raph had cut him off with a kiss. 

Leo had shoved him away, angry and appalled, but Raph was never an easy person to say no to as he pinned him back to the ground and kissed him again. Still exhausted from their previous fight, Leo couldn’t do much except sit there and not kiss back. This had irritated the hot-headed turtle enough to bite his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. They argued for a while, but Leo didn’t stand a chance. Afterall, he had started it, didn’t he? 

Eventually, Leonardo gave up and kissed him. It was an angry kiss. One that ended up a battle in itself, only for it to morph into something completely different and unknown several long minutes later. Sensations neither of them ever experienced sprung into existence, both exciting and terrifying them.

When they had separated, panting and hot for an entirely different reason, Leo felt like he was with a complete stranger as Raphael smiled down at him with this alien look in his eyes he couldn’t describe. That had scared him more then anything else and it had pissed him off that it was even possible.

They returned to their respective homes shortly after with rapidly beating hearts and racing minds that kept them sleepless for several nights.

The game had completely changed from then on out.

The fights continued, of course. They were much too fun to give up, but they almost always ended in a make out session that proved to be as rewarding as winning. 

Then, several nights later, the fights ended completely. Replaced with an entirely new and equally strenuous activity they agreed were much more fun. It had turned addictive. Wanting more and never getting enough. They experimented, often finding new and exciting things to try.

Neither of them said anything but they knew everything had changed. Not just the game, but their relationship.  
They were no longer nemesis.

Not even sparring opponents.

They didn’t know what they were, and they didn’t care. They didn’t need a label for it.

It felt good and that was all that mattered.

 

The stars had begun to fade away as the sky lightened by the rising sun. Leonardo was only a couple miles away from his home, Saki Tower, when he noticed a tickling sensation in the back of his head, like someone was watching him. He didn’t slow his running nor did he look back to check, not wishing to alert them of his awareness just yet. Instead, he decided to take a page from Raph’s book and lead his tail east, away from his home.

Once far enough away from the main bustle of the city, Leo hopped down into a quiet, empty alley, hid behind a parked supply truck and waited.

His tail wasn’t very bright as the figure hopped down a few moments later and began to search the alley for him. From his angle, Leo could recognize the familiar foot logo stitched into his black uniforms arm. Frowning, he waited patiently for the foot to turn his back on him before he emerged from his hiding spot, grabbing him from behind in a choke hold.

The foot soldier made a strangled sound of surprise and bucked against him, his hands clawing at his arms, but his grip remained as firm as statues. Leo reached behind him to withdraw a knife from his belt and pressed its razor-sharp blade against his throat hard enough to cut a few layers of skin. The soldier stilled save for the droplet of blood that seeped from the wound, sensing his oncoming demise. 

“Why were you following me?” Leo demanded, growling low in the human’s ear. “If you were here to deliver a message you would have approached me by now. So don’t lie.”

“I was following orders.” The soldier replied, his tone calmer then his body.

Leo’s teeth ground and he pressed the knife harder, more droplets spilled. “Who ordered you to follow me? Shredder?”

The soldier didn’t speak at first until Leo whispered, “Tell me or I’ll slice open your throat and let the neighborhood cats eat you.”

“It was HER, okay? She told me to follow you!” The soldier snapped angrily, his body trembling in fear. Leo didn’t need to ask who ‘she’ was.

“Why did she tell you to follow me?”

“She’s suspicious. Why else?”

Leo muttered a curse and closed his eyes, his blood running cold and his heart thumping wildly in his chest, releasing adrenaline he didn’t need. Taking a deep breath to reign his panic, he asked calmly, “Do you know where she is?”

“SHE'S right here.” 

Leo had to crane his neck to see but he already knew Oroku Karai had emerged from a shadowed corner of the alleyway. The perfect angle to see everything without being seen. She wore her normal, every-day grey and black tunic, leggings, and a pair of jika-tabis with a red obi tied around her waist and her red scraf around her neck. Her raven black hair was cut into that short bob for as long as he could remember, hating the nuisance of longer hair and hating the look of anything shorter than her jawbone. She was also armed with her single katana strapped on her back, having never left home without it even for something as simple as stopping by a gas station for a case of Bud Light.

At least it was sheathed still.

“Can you please release my man, Leonardo? Not all of us have instant replacements at a snap of Saki’s fingers.” She scowled. 

Reluctantly, Leo let the soldier go. Shoving him over to his Mistress. The soldier stumbled to a clumsy stop inches away from her before he quickly and shakily bowed. “Forgive me Mistress Karai. I have failed you.”

Karai didn’t even look at the man, keeping her glare homed on her adopted brother solely. Eradicating any bit of hope that she hadn’t seen anything. “Yes, you have. I will decide your punishment later. How is your neck?”

“F-Fine.” The man answered, his hand lightly touching the wound. “Bleeding.”

“Go tend to it. I have no more need for you.” She patted his shoulder lightly and he rose from his bowed position. 

“And what shall I do with the information you set me out for?”

“Forget about it. Do not tell anyone. I shall deal with the situation from here.” Karai waved dismissively to him. “Go now.”

“Yes, Mistress Karai.” He bowed one more time for good measure, trying to appeal to her ego as Shredder would have liked before he scampered off towards the roof tops. 

“Your soldiers are weak, Karai.” Leo commented, wiping the blood from his blade against the material of his vest before returning it to its sheathe. “They are frightened by their own shadows. They are unfit for battle.”

Karai crossed her arms over her chest, looking unamused. His tactic at distracting her failing miserably. “And you think you are fit to judge my men? You, the one who slept with the enemy?”

Leo winced, an automatic reaction. Some child-like naivety he didn’t know he possessed, hoping she had been mad at him for something else.

She shook her head disgustedly. “Father would be so ashamed if he knew he had been nurturing a traitor.”

“. . . Is he going to?” Leo asked, his tone careful. He felt nauseous. 

Karai snorted with disbelief. “You bring dishonor to our family even after everything we’ve done for you. Father fed you, bathed you, clothed you, and taught you everything he knew despite what you looked like. Allowed you to even carry the Oroku family name and you ask me if I’m going to keep your disgusting sin from him? His blood child?” Karai’s tone rose with every word she spoke until she was all but screaming at him. 

Leo fell silent, his eyes down casting to the floor beneath their feet as shame overwhelmed him so completely, he almost collapsed. Finally, regaining a portion of his composure, he met her eyes and gave her a single terse nod. 

Karai stared at him blankly for several uncomfortable minutes before she threw her head back and laughed. The noise anything but cheerful. Leo pressed his lips together and waited for her to finish. She wiped tears from her eyes with her thumb, being careful not to smudge her eye liner before her face morphed back into a scowl. “You are unbelievable.”

“Karai . . .” He began, but she stopped him as she raised a hand. 

“No. I don’t want to hear a single word you have to say. I am so ashamed to have ever considered you my brother.”

“Karai . . . please, just let me explain . . .” Leo risked decapitation to step closer to her, reaching to touch her shoulder, but she quickly slapped it away.

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” 

Leo scrambled away, his heart trying to leap out of his chest. He was fighting panic now as everything he ever knew was slowly crumbling around him. While his and Karai’s relationship was a fragile, complicated one, he had never doubted that he loved her like a sister. Even in their worst arguments, he had never seen her like THIS. He could see pure cold hatred in her eyes. No sign of his best friend anywhere.

All this time, he had been worrying about Saki’s opinion, he hadn’t spared a moment to think about how much this would have destroyed Karai. 

Leo saw her sloppy, telegraphic, punch coming from a mile away, but he didn’t do anything about it as it landed squarely against his jaw, sending the turtle to the ground. She gained points for strength though as stars appeared in front of his eyes and blood coated his tongue.

Even as Karai yanked him back to his feet using his scarf and rained down another few punches and screaming all her pain and frustration at him, Leo still refused to fight back nor defend himself. Not because he knew it would irritate her more, but because it made him feel better. He hoped it made her feel better too.

“You stupid freak of nature!” She cried loud enough for everyone down the block to hear her. She threw him back down into the dirt and began to kick him. His shell protected from the worst of her brunt, but it still hurt enough with her reinforced toe armor that he felt his stomach roiling and his head pounding with pain. 

Eventually, she tired herself out enough that the attacks stopped but Leo didn’t get up. Just laid there on his side and stared up at her with apologetic eyes. 

“Did you even realize how much father admired you? He had plans to pass the foot clan onto you! I had worked my ass off for that honor and he gives it to you! But you know what else?” Karai shouted. She continued without need of his response. “I was happy for you anyway! I thought you could have trained them well! And then you go and trade it all for . . . for, the enemy? You were supposed to kill him Leo! Not fuck him! You idiot!”

Then she collapsed in a heap next to him and cried quiet little noises that he could barely hear passed the ringing in his ears. He stared at her, speechless, unable to remember a time when Karai had cried. Even as a kid she had been as stone cold as her father.

Slowly, Leo propped himself up on his elbow, blinking blearily through a film of red, he reached out to her a second time. Her shoulders trembling under his hand. “I’m so sorry, Karai. I’m so, so sorry.”

Like a faucet being turned off, Karai’s crying instantly stopped. She turned to him and was surprised to find her eyes looked almost dry. It was . . . mechanical. So inhuman like he had to withdraw his hand from her from how uneasy she was making him. Then that ice appeared, blocking away any of her previous emotions from view.

“Not yet your not.” She said, rising back to her feet and backing away from him. 

Leo groaned as he tried to push himself back to his feet to follow but she quickly spun around and took off to the roof faster than he could ever be in the condition he was in. “KARAI!” He shouted after her, his voice booming off the concrete walls, but it was no use and he knew it. When he got home, whenever he got home, Saki was going to be there, waiting for him. His punishment was going to be brutal and never ending. What little freedom he had would be forever torn from him. His life basically over. 

Then there was Raph. 

Raph would be waiting for him at their usual rendezvous point. Karai now knows when that would be. She will probably set an ambush for him. Use him to draw out the other two . . . then finish what Leo couldn’t.

Leo felt a sharp pain in his chest that had nothing to do with Karai’s assault. 

Leo gasped as he crawled over to the alley wall and used it to claw his way back to his feet. He sucked in a sharp breath as he reached up for the first wrung of the fire escape ladder and with all his strength, pulled his body off the ground. It took easily an hour to complete a task that would have taken him two minutes healthy as he rolled himself onto the rooftop and laid there on his shell, looking up at the now blue sky before him. He realized he had fallen asleep when one moment the sun was farther east and in one blink the sun was now scorching above him.

Leo groaned as he clambered back to his feet, cradling his wounds and forcing himself to move. He wanted to get back home before Saki sent a bunch of men to fetch him. Otherwise, he might not ever get to see the light of day again.

 

“You are dismissed.” Splinter, their Sensei and father, human-rat hybrid, commanded. Waiting as his three sons bowed before he smiled and retreated to his own quarters to begin his daily meditation. 

Donatello disappeared into his section of the lair he had deemed his laboratory where he would likely remain until dinner time. Michelangelo strolled over to the living room and plopped himself on their rugged couch, the rusted springs squeaking beneath his weight, as he dug out the tv remote from between the cushions and flicked on the television. His feet pushing aside a pile of pizza boxes so he could prop them on the edge of the coffee table, resulting in him tipping over a half-filled can of soda from the other side. Mikey groaned in annoyance as he watched the carpet soak up the beverage, then settled deeper into his seat.

Raph rolled his eyes but didn’t bother making Mikey clean it up, not in the mood to hear his little brother’s bitching. Instead, he made a place for himself on the couch, brushing aside popcorn spills and magazines. There was no lying to themselves, their home was a pigsty, but no one wanted to clean it except for the old, sick rat currently hold up in his bedroom taking a nap. Raph had tried to keep their routine of chores a regular thing but like a lot of their old habits, they eventually stopped for no other reason besides laziness. 

No one really cared what anybody did anymore. Afterall, no one had ever mentioned anything about his late-night disappearances and he knew he wasn’t being sneaky anymore. He even left when his brothers were still up watching movies, shrugging and waving goodbye when he told them he was heading out for a while and won’t be back till late. They had grown up somewhat independently with only the occasional movie or game night that Mikey would be insistent on or training and patrol bringing them together. 

Raph sighed disappointingly, knowing that he could have done better for them. He had grown tired of being the authority. Allowing his brothers to do as they will even when he knew that they shouldn’t. It only got worse after Leo. The damn turtle taking the better portion of his thoughts during the day, then taking up everything else at night.

Raph briefly wondered what Leo would think of his family. He had told him a little about them in between rounds but Leo hadn’t acted all that interested. Of course, his eyes had conveyed an opposite message Raph wouldn’t have normally noticed had he not been searching for it. What else could he have expected with Shredder as your father?

They knew that Shredder finding out their secret was inevitable. They never talked about it much, their attention and interests elsewhere, but Raph had found himself wondering more and more of what they would do when that time came. Could he convince Leo to leave Shredder and join his family? How deep did his loyalty for Saki lie? Raphael would do anything for his family without question, why shouldn't he expect Leo to do the same?

If Leo couldn’t leave the Shredder and Raph couldn’t leave his family, there wasn’t many options left. He would have to choose between the people he cared about, and it was already obvious who he favored.

“Life can seem so unfair.” Raph mumbled.

“Huh?” Mikey glanced at him from his peripheral. 

Raph smirked and shook his head. “Nothing little bro. I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Kay.” Was all he offered as he scooped up a handful of popcorn off the couch and shoved it into his mouth. Raph sneered disgustedly as he rose to his feet and walked over to their bathroom. His skin felt cleaner and smoother by the end of his shower, but his mind remained as jumbled and cluttered as ever. Feeling irritate and exhausted, Raph decided to try for a nap. Afterall, he'd only gotten three hours of sleep last night.

Leaving his gear on the tile floor for later, Raph walked towards his bedroom with only a towel slung across his shoulders. He froze in the doorway. His bedroom, usually just as messy as the living room, was miraculously clean when he entered. His exercise equipment had been pushed to a corner of the room. His magazines were stacked back on his shelves and his bed had been made.

“Mikey!” He called out. “You know I hate it when you touch my stuff!”

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t even in your room!” Mikey shouted back.

Raph frowned farther. Donnie wouldn’t have done this, would he? His lab needed the attention way more then any of their bedrooms.

“You guy’s are really disgusting, you know that?”

Raph jumped in surprise by the familiar voice that spoke from the darkness. “Leo?” 

“Yes?” The turtle in question emerged from the corner on his left, smiling cheekily.

“What the hell are you doing here?” 

Leo walked over to Raph’s bed and sat down, folding his feet in a cross-legged position. “Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Raph leaned out into the hallway to make sure Mikey wasn’t eavesdropping before he stepped into the room, closing the door, and flipping on the light. Leo blinked a couple times, clearly having been in the dark for a while.

“Delighted.” He replied. “But what are you doing here? How did you even find where I lived?”

“What? Afraid your family will find out you’re sleeping with the enemy?” Leo smirked.

Raph snorted. “No, actually.”

“Well, I’m jealous.” Leo rolled his eyes.

Raph frowned. “Leo, did something happen?”

Leo’s smile immediately fell, confirming his suspicion. As Raph came closer he noticed the dark ugly purple bruises he had mistaken for shadows previously, that marred his forest green skin. His stomach twisted with dread. 

“Shit, Leo. What did you do?” Raph asked, falling to his knees beside the turtle and snatching his arm for examination. He could tell he was swollen but he was no Donnie, he didn’t know how serious bruises could get.

Leo winced in response and Leo never winced at anything. 

“Why do you assume its something I did?” Leo chuckled despite himself.

“Because you have a habit of getting yourself into trouble.” Raph gave a small smile and stood up, backing towards the door. “Wait right here. Do not go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”

“I came to you, remember? I’m not going anywhere.”

Raph wasn’t quite reassured but he trusted him anyway as he walked back into the bathroom to retrieve several rolls of wraps and a couple of gel ice packs. When he returned, Leo was still sitting in the same spot, his eyes wandering over his decorative choices despite probably already seeing everything. It was hard to believe he was here, in his home. He had never thought to invite Leo over for the sake of his brother’s safety, but now he realized how well he belonged there. Like the missing piece to a puzzle, he fit right in. 

Raph cleared his throat and returned to his spot next to Leo. He held out his hand and Leo hesitantly placed his arm there.

“So,” Raph began as he wrapped up his limbs. His eyes flicked up to Leo’s who was staring off to the side. “You going to tell me what happened or not?”

Silence answered him for several minutes but Raph waited patiently for that sigh of admission. “He found out.”

Raph already figured that part out on his own, but somehow, having it spoken aloud made it real. 

“How?” He heard himself utter. His own voice sounding distant to his ears.

“My . . . sister. Karai. She had sent a soldier to follow me. I hadn’t noticed until I was heading back that I was being tailed.”

“Did she do this?” Raph asked quietly. 

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t fight back, did you?”

A corner of Leo’s mouth quirked. Only five months since they met and Raph knew him better then the woman he was raised with. “No.”

Raph sighed. A tinge of irritation in that one breath. “How did you get away from Shredder?”

“I didn’t. I never saw him. After Karai left to go blab to him, I snuck back home to grab my stuff. Then I came here.”

A flutter of hope bloomed in Raph’s chest. He placed an ice pack on Leo’s arm and moved on to his legs while Leo held it in place. “You never did tell me how you found me.”

Leo snorted. “That was the easy part. There aren’t too many places where a family of mutants could be hiding.”

Raph scowled, not liking the thought that anyone with half a brain could find them so easily. He wanted to ask Leo how he got passed all of Donnie’s security systems but decided they had bigger issues to worry about now. “So, what are you gonna do now?”

“Now?” Leo said, his voice turning hard. Raph paused in his work to glance up at him. His eyes matched his tone. “Now, we run.”

"Pardon?" Raph blinked. 

“There’s nothing here for me now, Raph. Once he figures out that I’ve ran, he’s going to send soldiers after me. I need to get as far away as possible before then. I need to disappear . . . and I want you to come with me.”

Raph stared at him in bewilderment, his mind racing. He knew this day would come eventually, but he’d never expected it so soon. He wasn’t ready for this thing between them to end. He wanted it to last just a little longer. A few more days. Was that too much to ask?

The temptation to say, “fuck it” and leave was a lot stronger than he imagined it to be. Eventually however, he knew he had to take responsibility for the mistakes he made and put his family before his pleasure. They were too important.

“I can’t, Leo.” He whispered. The words coming out strained.

Leo frowned in disappointment. “Why not?”

“My family needs me.” Raph glanced to his bedroom door as if he expected them to suddenly appear there. “. . . And I need them.”

When he got no response, Raph finally forced himself to look back at the turtle he had grown to care for. It was surprisingly hard to give up a person he had known for only a few months in favor of the people he loved for his entire life. He hadn’t thought it was possible until now.

Leo stared at his lap, lost in his own thoughts. Then, he looked up, and his eyes were devoid of any emotion. That should have made things easier, but it didn't. “Alright. I get it.”

“You do?” 

Leo nodded. “Yeah, I do. I just thought I’d ask.”

Leaning over, Leo pulled the wrap from Raph’s grip and finished the job himself. Finally, he stood up and gestured with the ice pack as he said, “Thanks for all this, by the way. Hadn’t expected medical treatment when I stopped by. I appreciate it.”

Raph grunted as he watched Leo walk over to a duffle bag he hadn’t noticed was sitting beside the door. He picked it up then slung it over his shoulder, giving Raph a small smile. “Goodbye Raphael. It’s been fun.”

Panic momentarily blinded Raph as Leo opened his bedroom to leave and never be seen again, that he ended up shouting, “Wait!”

Leo stopped halfway out and looked at him with a twinkle of hope in his eyes. “Yeah?”

Raph scrambled to his feet and marched over to Leo who looked stunned as he suddenly cradled both his cheeks in his hands and pulled him into a deep kiss. Leo melted into him, savoring his flavor as much as he could before he had to celibate.

“I don’t want you to go.” Raph whispered between their lips.

Leo smiled at this. “I have to.”

“Says who?”

Leo chuckled. “Says me.”

“Bullshit.”

“Then what do you suggest I do?” Leo raised a brow.

“Stay here. With us.”

Leo blinked, then shook his head quickly. “No. You know I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Raph asked. Suddenly growing eager by his idea the more he talked about it. “We got the room.”

Leo continued shaking his head. “If I could find you, Shredder can find you. Raph, if he gets his hands on me . . .”

“Then you can help us find a better hiding spot. You know the Shredder better than anyone. You know what will and won’t work.” Raph argued.

“You think your brothers are just going to accept me into their home as one of them? I’m the son of Shredder! Your telling me they won’t have a problem with that?” 

“Yes I am.”

Leo threw his hands in the air and growled in frustration. “Why do you have to make this so much harder then it has to be?”

“Because whatever this is Leo . . .” Raph grabbed onto Leo’s bicep to keep him still. “It’s worth fighting for.”

Leo stared long and hard at Raph who met him with the same determined look. He sighed and leaned into him. He knew what his heart wanted to do but his mind was too overbearing. His whole life had been a struggle for survival. All he ever knew was survival. To think about risking his life for a few joyous moments with Raph was . . . idiotic. Right? And he was no idiot. Right? 

“Trust me, Leo. This is a good plan. I can feel it in my gut and my gut hasn’t let me down yet.” Raph whispered into his forehead, his hand searching out Leo’s. A gesture Raph had never done before. He led him into the hallway, only for Leo to stop cold, doubt still twisting his face.

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Leo muttered.

Raph smirked. “Are you seriously telling me that Shredder’s ‘fearless’ pet is too scared to meet my bros?”

Leo glared at the jab. “Asshole.”

Raph chuckled. “Come on, Leo. They’ll love you. I know they will.”

“How do you know that?”

Raph’s face softened. “Because I do.”

Leo blinked once. Twice. The words not quite registering right away. “The hell. . .?”

Raph clapped a hand over Leo’s mouth, shutting him up efficiently. Leo snarled into his palm. “Save it, Leo. We got more important stuff to worry about.”

Leo wanted to argue that but allowed Raph have his way. When Raph was certain Leo wasn’t about to begin another lecture, he removed his hand. “Uh, you might also want to remove that.” Raph pointed to his shoulder armor painted with the foot symbol. Leo quirked a brow and Raph grinned continuing to guide him down to the lower living room where his little brother sat, mesmerized by the flashing screen. 

“Mikey! Don! Master Splinter!” Raph shouted. His voice booming off the lair’s walls. “I got someone I wantcha to meet!”


	2. Curiosity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this a while back. Finally posting this now. Hints of L/R t-cest and lemon. Nothing too graphic. This starts off with them around 12 or 13 and then jumps to around 17 or 18.

It was three o'clock in the morning and yet the city of New York was far from asleep. At this time, the night owls were up and about, making the city glow with its artificial lighting and while nothing could compare to daytime traffic, there was still a good number of vehicles congesting the streets.

This being a school night, most children were in bed by now save for one child in particular whom had no need to worry over things like school; because he was neither human nor animal but rather a culmination of the two. A unique creature with the skin and shell of a turtle that walked with two legs and talked with words.

Some might have called him a monstrosity. Natures mistake.

Some might have called him a miracle of science.

To this child, however, neither mattered to him. The only things that mattered were the opinions and love of his family.

Yet, here was in the dead of night, miles away from said family, peeking beneath the manhole cover where he lived underground in the sewers, and watched with young, curious eyes as a human woman wrapped her slender arms around a human man’s neck while covering her mouth with his own.

Leonardo had heard of this behavior before in many of his father's story books he read to him and his brothers but never before had he witnessed it.

It was. . . Strange.

The two clung to each other as if they were afraid they would never see each other again and yet their mouths fought one another like they were in a heated battle.

The sucking sound was. . . Gross.

And didn't they need air? It had been a full minute since they last parted!

Little sounds escaped. Like the groans he and his brothers made after a hard-sparring session. But they had groaned because it hurt. Why would these humans willingly do this if it hurt them? Was it necessary? Just as sparring was necessary for their strength building?

Leo was more confused than ever, but he continued to watch. Unabashedly fascinated by this clearly intimate and private moment.

The man backed the woman against the wall of the alleyway now. His hands slipping beneath her blouse and sliding across her belly and chest. The woman groaned again, her fingers clawing at his hair.

Was he hurting her?

Leo couldn't tell. After all, she had been the one to start this.

The woman wrapped a long jean covered leg around the man’s hip and he decided that she liked whatever it was he was doing to her. She would've been kicking him instead if she didn't, right?

At this point, Leo wasn't sure anymore. Humans were weird.

"Do you know how pissed Splinter would be if he knew you were out here?"

Leonardo jumped, barely able to stifle his yelp upon hearing the first youngest of his brother’s voice behind him.

Despite Leonardo being the oldest of the four, Raphael somehow had the deepest of voices. It had scared all of them waking up one morning to find Raph's familiar high-pitched squeaky voice replaced by this low, rough one.

Raph prided himself on being the deepest voice. Claiming it meant he had the most testosterone, meaning he was the manliest of the four. Leo wasn't about to rebuke him on that. However, the youngest, Michelangelo, could argue that point all day long even when Donatello, their know-it-all brother, had said that this was true.

Leo glared as he felt his heart hammer against his chest. "You're one to talk."

"Yeah, well, everyone expects me to sneak out in the middle of the night, but Splinter jr. breaking a rule? That’s basically unheard of."

Leo rolled his eyes. "I couldn't sleep, okay? Now will you be quiet? Humans are out here."

Raph raised a brow. "I thought you didn't like watching humans."

"I don't. But these ones are. . . Doing something." Leo blushed.

Raph's eyes widened with curiosity, glancing up to where the moonlight shone through the drainage holes. "What are they doing?"

Leo glanced back at the couple who still have yet to notice their little audience. "I. . . think they're kissing."

"You think?"

"Well, Splinter's book didn't describe it like this."

Raph paused. ". . . Can I see?"

Leo shrugged and said, "Sure. Just don't make too much noise. We don't want them noticing us."

"Yeah. Yeah." Raph huffed and climbed up the ladder till he was beside his brother, then peeked out.

Leo watched amusingly as Raph's eyes widen again, this time from surprise.

"That's not kissing." He said.

Leo frowned. "It's not?"

Raph shook his head. "No. That's eating each other’s faces off."

Leo giggled. "I don't think so, Raphie."

"Look at him though! He's trying to maim her!"

Leo had to slap a hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing too loudly.

Raph glared at him. "Quit laughing at me, it’s true."

Leo snickered and wiped the laugh induced tears from his eyes. "If it was then why isn't she struggling to get away?"

"Well, she looks like she is struggling with something.” Raph mumbled, his eyes never leaving the sight before him. Then he gasped, "He bit her!"

Leo blinked. "He what?"

"He bit her lip!"

"Let me see!" Leo pushed against Raph as he tried to catch a glimpse as well. Raph grunted, one leg slipping off a wrung. He glared at his older brother as he scrambled for balance, but Leo wasn’t paying any attention to him. The man wasn't biting her anymore nor was he kissing her mouth, instead he moved on to sucking her neck.

"Do you think he's a vampire?" Raph whispered and Leo snorted.

"Vampires aren't real, Raph."

"You don't know that."

"I think Master Splinter would have told us if vampires were real." Leo pointed out.

"Yeah well, he didn't tell us that kissing also involved tongues and teeth too." Raph countered.

Leo frowned, unsure how to retort. The brothers fell into an awkward silence as they watched the two humans devour each other. Their bodies writhing together and their moans echoing through the tunnels. 

"They look like they’re enjoying it." Raph whispered.

Leo nodded, absentmindedly. "How do you think it feels?"

"I assume good if they keep doing it."

Silence for another minute. Leo's eyes were no longer focusing on the couple as he sunk into the depths of his thoughts.

"Hey Raph?" Leo said softly. 

"Mm?"

"You think we will ever get the chance to try that with someone?" 

Raph sneered with disgust. "You want to kiss a girl?" 

Leo glanced at him. "Well, sure. Don't you?"

"I mean, I'm curious but, girls have cooties, don't they?"

Leo couldn't help himself, he burst into laughter, causing the two humans to jump in surprise and look around wildly for the source of their interruption. Raph quickly yanked Leo down and closed the manhole cover before they could be spotted.

Leo continued to giggle as he climbed down the ladder, Raph grumpily following suite.

"What's got you so tickled now, doofus?" 

"Big tough Raphie is scared of cooties?" Leo sniggered, shaking his head.

Raph glared, stabbing a finger into his brothers’ chest. "Shut up, I ain't afraid of nothin. Cooties are just gross."

"Just like cockroaches are gross?" Leo smirked.

"Roaches are on an entirely different level of gross." Raph shuddered.

Leo rolled his eyes and smiled. "Are you going to answer my question though? Do you think we might ever get the chance to try it?"

Raph fell silent as he actually considered it for a moment. "I’m mean, unless you can find a mutant turtle girl, I doubt it."

Leo's smile fell at this answer. It wasn't like he wasn't aware that their options were quite limited. Splinter had already explained the dangers of showing their faces to the human world. However, Leo would be lying if he said he wasn't hoping that there might be someone out there that would look at him and not see some sort of monster.

Raph did not miss the bit of hurt that flashed across his older brothers face before quickly covering it up with that neutral mask he’d been practicing in the mirror when he didn't want his thoughts to be seen. Raph didn't realize how much he hated that mask until now.

"I-I mean, maybe it's not completely hopeless. I'm sure there might be some weird chick out there that's into mutants." Raph quickly amended, hoping to see that brilliant smile returns on his sibling’s face. Unfortunately, Leo only looked up at him with disbelieving eyes.

"No. You were right the first time, Raph." Leo sighed, looking down to the ground at the murky water streaming passed their feet. "We're the first and last of our kind, just like Master Splinter said."

Leo gave him a halfhearted smile and nudged him in his side.

"But, it can always be worse, right? At least we've got each other." He said optimistically, trying in vain to rectify the moment that was lost. 

Raph grunted in reply as they began to walk back home. Both completely silent aside from the splashing of their feet as they lost themselves to their thoughts.

It took Leo a moment to realize when Raph had stopped keeping pace with him. He paused to look back confusingly at his brother who stood in the middle of the tunnel, staring down at his feet with an odd look on his face.

"Raph?" Leo called. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just. . ." Raph hesitated. "Does it really bother you that we might not find anybody to do that with."

Leo sighed, his feet shuffling uncomfortably. He, like Raph, had never been able to easily open himself up to his feelings. Unlike Mikey who was a complete open book.

"I'm sure I'll get over it in time. Splinter did say that we might start thinking differently when we hit a certain age."

Raph nodded but he didn't start moving again. Leo walked back over to him and took his hand to get him started but Raph remained glued where he was.

"I-I, uhm. . . I know I'm not a pretty girl or anything, but I do have lips, sooo. . ." Raph trailed off. He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes as his cheeks turned a darker shade of green. 

It took Leo only a beat to grasp what Raph was suggesting. His own face heated up as well and his eyes widened not from disgust or even shock as Raph might have expected.

Instead, he looked. . . intrigued.

"You want to try it?" Leo clarified for him.

Raph shrugged a shoulder, trying to act indifferent. "Can if you want b-but it's up to you. If it sounds too weird for you then we can just forget. . ." Raph's ranting was cut short as Leo took a step closer to him. Their noses only inches apart. Raph had stopped breathing but he could feel Leo's warm breathes brush against his face. A strange sort of shiver slid down his shell at the bit of excitement that sparkled in Leo's blue eyes.

"I want. . ." He whispered. 

Raph swallowed thickly and nodded, raising a tentative hand to cup Leo's soft cheek.

"So, are you not scared I have cooties?" Leo's eyes glimmered with amusement. 

Raph snorted, "Well, if we're related, it's not as gross, right? Because it's like sharing the same type of cooties."

Leo laughed at his reasoning and shook his head, unconvinced but deciding to go along with it anyway.

"So, am I the man or the woman?" He asked.

Raph blinked at this question. "Does it matter?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. They were both doing different things."

Raph pursed his lips, then decided, "I'll be the man."

"What, why? I'm the oldest." 

"That has nothing to do with it, Leo. I clearly have more testosterone and that means I'm manlier so it makes sense that I should be the man." Raph announced, proudly. "Ask Donnie, he'll tell you."

Leo pouted at this, but he couldn't deny his logic. Besides, if he continued to argue with Raph about this then it was more likely they were never going to get to try this out.

So, sighing, Leo closed his eyes, allowing Raph to take the lead. 

Ignoring his nervousness, Raph leaned forward and tilted his head slightly, trying to echo the movements of the humans they had watched. Of course, they had been a lot faster, but he gathered that hadn't been their first time doing that.

Raph closed his eyes as well and after a few blind seconds he felt their lips bump together. 

Slowly, Leo slid his hands up Raph's chest and wrapped his arms around Raph's shoulders just like he watched the woman do, tugging him closer till their plastrons came together with a 'click'. Raph tried to move their mouths in a similar fashion but it was clumsy and messy.

Leo giggled between their lips. 

"Quit laughing! I don't know what I'm doing!" Raph growled defensively. Making Leo laugh harder. 

"I'm sorry. It feels weird."

"Yeah well, deal with it. 

"I will if you stop talking and kiss me like a man." Leo challenged making Raph growl and plunged his mouth down on Leo's hard enough he swore they would bruise tomorrow. Not that either of them cared as they both were swept up in a wave of unfamiliar and overwhelming sensations. 

Again, the kiss was erratic and sloppy not to mention the sucking sounds were still gross, but they ignored all that in favor of the sparks of electricity that shot through their bodies.

Raph backed Leo against the wall like that man did and Leo slid his leg up Raph's like that woman did. Performing their parts like they were in a play. However, they didn't last nearly as long as the humans did when the need for oxygen forced them to part. 

They gasped for air, their bodies shaking with a need they didn't have the vocabulary to describe. 

Eventually, their pants calmed to regular breathing and they blinked their eyes open, exchanging the same look of wonder.

"That was. . ." Raph began but quickly gave up when he couldn't find the word he was searching for.

"Intense." Leo supplied.

Raph nodded, deciding that was as good of a word as any.

A small smile played at the corners of Leo's mouth. "It was kind of fun. Even if we weren't doing it right."

Raph chuckled and shrugged. "As Master Splinter would say, practice makes perfect."

Leo's eyes blinked in surprise at this. "You mean we can do this again?"

"Well you're never going to find out what it feels like if we can't do it right."

Leo smiled eagerly. "I'd like that."

Raph came forward again and placed a small kiss to Leo's lips. Nothing like the previous one and yet it filled Leo’s heart with a sense of love he usually never experienced in his quick-tempered brother’s presence. 

Finally, they separated, leaving their bodies feeling cold except for their hands that were interlocked. Their arms swinging back and forth as they walked back home in the first comfortable silence they had in a while.

"Hey, Leo?"

"Yeah, Raph?"

"You aren't going to tell anybody about this, right?" Raph asked nervously.

"Hadn't planned on it."

"Good." Raph sighed.

Leo frowned. "Why?"

Raph shrugged and looked to the side away from his brother’s gaze. "No good reason. I just. . . Don't want the others getting curious about this too and asking you to try it out is all."

Leo smirked. "Is Raphie jealous?"

Raph grimaced. ". . . Maybe. So, what if I am? Is it too silly to ask for one thing I don't have to share with the other two dimwits?"

Leo grinned and leaned over to place a soft kiss of his own on Raph's cheek. "This will be our secret okay, Raph? I promise to not try this with anyone else."

Raph sighed with relief.

"As long you promise to never do this with anyone else either."

Raph chuckled and nodded. 

"Promise."

 

Five years later. . .

They were in luck!

Their nightly patrols were finished early with nary a single criminal acting out of line. Leaving the two eldest of the four turtle brothers a good twenty minutes to goof around before their youngest siblings would arrive at the agreed rendezvous point.

Finding a dark, abandoned alleyway, Raphael grabbed onto Leonardo's arm and tugged him closer till their bodies collided and their mouths crushed together in a needy, heated kiss. It had been so long. Too long really since they last had an opportunity such as this. Oh sure, they spent almost every night sneaking into each other’s rooms for a couple of hours of fun but with the threat of their family being earshot away, they could never allow themselves to go too far. Only when they were completely alone like this with the sounds of an alive city to drown them out, did they indulge in their cravings.

It was frustrating at times, keeping this secret to themselves. Especially at times when all they wanted to do was hold hands or kiss the others cheek or have a flirting battle. Little things that would give them away so easily. 

Yet, it was also fun. The lack of influence. The thrill of getting caught. And, moments like these after a long break where they're both about ready to explode with sexual frustration that is barely repressed.

It made it all worth it. 

Raph pressed forward, forcing Leo to back up till his shell crashed almost painfully against the brick wall, but he didn't mind the violence, tugging encouragingly against Raph's mask tails. A command for Raph to hurry up.

Raph grinned wickedly between their mouths. 

"So impatient." He tsked, pinching his left butt cheek.

"So slow." Leo huffed. "Come on grandpa, I know you got more than that."

"Grandpa?" Raph laughed at the insult. "I'm younger than you!"

"Then prove it." Leo smirked, challengingly. "Fuck me like a dog in heat."

"God, I love it when you talk dirty." Raph groaned, burying his head in the crook of his mates’ shoulder, leaving little nips and kisses that he knew drove Leo crazy.

Leo wrapped a leg around Raph's hips, his head falling back against the wall at the friction. 

Raph raised his head and took Leo's mouth as he grinded against him. Their tongues battling for dominance as they swallowed each other’s moans. The populated city melting away until it was just the two of them in a world where loving each other was the only thing that mattered.

Raph caught Leo's lower lip in between his teeth and smiled at his companion’s annoyance. Leo hated it when he did that. Which was why he kept doing it. He loved when Leo was grumpy. He loved it when Leo was horny. He loved it when Leo was happy.

Really, he just loved Leo. 

And he was going to show him just how much.

At least, he was until a couple of little gasps dragged him out of his cloud of lust. 

He probably wouldn't have heard it at all had Leo's body not stiffened beneath him, bringing him to attention. 

Their lips separated with a pop as Raph's head spun around in search of the noise.

"Shit." Leo whispered just as Raph spotted a pair of young eyes peeking at them from a window on the second floor. They could've sworn nobody was living there anymore.

Leo quickly pushed Raph away, straightening his mask and wiping the excess saliva from his lip. 

Raph snorted at Leo's flustered state. "Well, they're going to have to learn eventually." 

Leo glared, smacking him in the shoulder. "If you think I'm continuing after this, you're going to need a checkup with Don."

Raph chuckled. "A little hypocritical, Leo. Wasn't this how we learned?"

"Just to kiss." Leo corrected.

Raph grinned at the memory. "Right. We learned everything else from porn."

Leo made a disgusted sound. "Well, you did."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy every bit of my newfound knowledge." Raph smirked, proudly.

Leo rolled his eyes and began climbing up the fire escape. "Come on, perv. We should be heading home anyway. We can look for another spot later." 

Halfway up, Leo realized Raph still wasn't following and he glanced down.

"Raph, you coming?"

"In a sec, I feel like I should say something. You know, like give a little advice to help them on their way."

"Please don't." Leo groaned in dismay, banging his forehead against the railing.

Raph cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Hey, kids! I know you're there! We're not going to hurt you."

"Raph, you're going to have the cops after us!" 

"Seriously, Leo. Look at this place, it's deserted. They're probably playing a ouija board or some shit like that." 

From the window, two small heads emerged from behind a tattered curtain. Their wide innocent eyes staring down at them curiously. From this distance Raph couldn't tell their exact age nor their genders, but he knew they had to be teenagers at least.

"If you're going to try this out, just remember one thing! Don't. Lead. With the tongue!" 

"Raphael Hamato get your tail end up here or you can kiss your libido goodbye." Leo snarled from the rooftop.

Raph winked to the two kids before he hurried up after his mate.

"Relax Leo, you act like I just gave them 'the talk'. Hell, they probably know about that stuff already."

"That's not the point, Raph. You might have just ruined a perfectly good friendship." Leo snapped.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, they were bound to try it anyway. Besides, we did and look how good we came out."

Try as he might, Leo couldn't help the small smile as Raph grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him in for a warm embrace. Leo sighed against his mates’ shoulder and melted into him.

Raph placed a small kiss against Leo's temple and whispered, "I love you, Leo and one of these days I'm going to show you just how much."

Leo sighed, content. "Can't wait."


	3. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning: Psychological Horror. Blood and Violence. Language. And character deaths.**
> 
> **No t-cest in this one.**

The first thing he remembered was feeling sore. 

His body heavy as if someone had slapped down a wet sandbag on his shell, pinning him to the hard ground. He remembered feeling cold then. There was no movement in the air, just a still cold that seeped into your bones and turned your blood to slush. He remembered laying there for God only knows how long before he managed to pry his eyelids open and when he did, he wasn’t sure if he was dreaming or not.

Leonardo stared confusingly at a brick wall, corroded from years of water leaks from pipes and chipped paint. A shadow of graffiti residue stained the brick work, too old to be readable, and wondered how in the hell he had gotten here.

The mutant turtle/human hybrid slowly turned his head to see his other side was also blocked off by a brick wall. So, he was in the center of a tunnel, he concluded, although not one he was familiar with. It lacked sewage so it couldn’t have been a sewer tunnel. 

With effort, Leo dragged himself onto his hands and knees, his eyes searching his body for signs of injuries and indeed found himself decorated with an assortment of them. He couldn’t remember where he had gotten them.

The last thing he did remember was heading off to bed, in his room, in his home, after saying his goodnights to his little brothers. 

His brothers.

Leonardo pushed himself the rest of the way up to his feet, unable to keep back the groan of pain as he did so. His eyes frantically searched the darkness from both ends of the corridors, but he appeared to be completely alone. 

“Is anyone here?” Leo called out, his voice booming in the silence. Only his echoes answered him.

“Raph? Don? Mikey?” 

His brothers weren’t with him, so that either meant they were back home, safe in their beds, or, the more likely option, they had been taken to separate locations. Assuming, of course, they had been taken by anyone. Why else would they be here unless someone had attacked them in the middle of the night? It seemed like the most logical explanation and yet, the holes in his memories and his wounds suggested there was more to it than that. 

If his brothers were here, wherever ‘here’ was, the only way of finding them was to wander around and hope to stumble into them by chance. So, he decided to do the only thing he could do and search for an exit. 

Leo considered both directions before deciding to go backwards since he had woken up on his stomach, facing forwards. Hoping that if he had been carried here, his kidnappers had come from the opposite direction they had dumped him in. 

Leaving behind the safe confines of the starch white light that shined from a little fixture installed into the wall, he traversed into the darkness and the unknown. He walked for about fifty yards in complete blackness before coming across another fixture. His stomach twisted uneasily from a wave of déjà vu. Everything looked exactly as before. The only thing assuring him he wasn’t walking in circles was the faded graffiti were different from before.

He pushed on, passing light after light, refusing to stop and think about how big this place must be. Eventually, the hallway branched off in separate directions, one continuing forward, one going right and the other going left. He froze, conflicted in this sudden vital decision. There was nothing to differentiate the hallways with. No directions, no landmarks, not even graffiti. 

Leo growled in frustration, slightly relieved that he was by himself so he could be as agitated and scared and in pain as he wanted without having to worry about anybody depending on him. Still, he didn’t have the time nor the energy to waste on panic, so he inhaled deeply, held it for several seconds, before releasing it slowly, pushing out the pain and fear with it. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his other senses, hoping they could tell him something that his vision couldn’t see. Maybe a draft? A scent other than mud and rat droppings? A sound?

Leo went as still as a board, holding his breath as he heard something. The faint hum of machinery in the distance passed the hiss of the light fixtures and water running through the pipes. It was coming from the right hallway. 

Leo opened his eyes and moved toward it, the humming growing louder. He tried to suppress the excitement in his chest, but he couldn’t help it, he was ready to leave this place. Yes, he still needed to find his brothers, but he was useless to them when not even he knew where he was, let alone them. He needed to find the exit and reorientate himself before he attempted to search for them. Perhaps even get help from Splinter, Casey, and April. Depending on how long he had been out, they were bound to have realized their absence. He wondered if they would ever think to check for a place like this. 

It felt like he had been walking for ages. The hallways twisting and turning seemingly at random, never falling away to other separate rooms or corridors. He felt like a rat in a maze, trying to find its way out. The farther he walked the more his hope drained from him.

Leonardo yelped as he heard a loud **pop** sound and his face was blasted by a cloud of hot steam from a busted pipe. He hissed, ducking and covering his face with his hands, coughing as his lungs burned from what he inhaled. It smelled of rotten eggs, causing him to dry-heave for several seconds.

The blue masked turtle sprinted forward until he could no longer hear the hissing sound of steam escaping before he collapsed against the wall, wheezing. He rubbed at his stinging eyes, trying to blink them open but his world was too blurry to see, so he kept them shut and pressed on. He laid his palm against the wall to help guide him, staying wary of the pipes gurgling above his head.

Eventually, the humming had morphed into a roar that surrounded him, the air feeling a few degrees warmer now, chasing away the chill Leo had been suffering from. The wall beneath his hand fell away and he eased his eyes open to find himself in a room packed tightly with electrical engines and boilers that connected to the water pipes and cables from the hallways. Maybe a utility tunnel? But for what, he didn’t know. It had to be for something large like an industrial plant or a facility.

How Leo wished his brother, Donatello, were here. He was certain the genius of the family would be able to figure out what all these little knobs and doohickey’s do. Hell, he probably would’ve figured out how to get out of a place like this already.

Leo quickly shook himself of that discouraging feeling before it could have the chance to consume him. Yes, he and his brothers have been trained together all their lives to work as a team, but they weren’t meant to solely rely on each other. Master Splinter, their father, knew that there would come moments where the four brothers would be forced apart. So, he prepared them to improvise for the weaknesses a brother would make up for and taught them how to be self-sufficient. Obviously, his lessons weren’t meant to replace their teammates but to simply help them survive long enough for them to regroup.

Still, the ninja couldn’t help feeling like a major piece of him was missing. Something vital like a limb or an organ. He felt isolated. Like he was the last remaining turtle on earth. He doubted any amount of Splinter’s training could’ve prepared him for this loss.

But, the worst was the not knowing. Not knowing what happened to the rest of his family. If they were okay or not. If they were in the same predicament as him or if they were facing a threat they couldn’t handle on their own. As the eldest sibling and leader of their team, it was Leo’s job to protect them. So, this feeling of helplessness was devastating to say the least.

Leo tried his best to push those incessant thoughts to the back of his mind as he focused on trying to find a clue to his freedom or, at the very least, a location. He checked in every nook and cranny, even the tight spaces between the machines and wall but all he could seem to find was stickers of the name and number of the manufacturers. He dug around in his belt for anything useful that hadn’t been confiscated and was surprised to find his shell cell was still tucked in its pocket. Turning it on, he wasn’t surprised to find he had no signal down wherever he was.

Leo sighed, fighting the urge to throw the useless device into the wall and return it to his belt pocket instead. Don probably wouldn’t appreciate having to build him a new one.

There was no other leading door or hallway out of the room besides the one he had come through. Leo gazed out into darkness, wondering if he should go back into the maze and try a different route or stay here where it was warm. Despite the deafening sounds of the engines running, Leo felt as if this was a safe point of some sort. He chalked it up to watching too many of Mikey’s video game playing. Besides, if he left, what were the chances he would be able to find his way back here if his exploration proved fruitless? However, Leonardo was not the type to be unproductive.

The irony of the situation was not lost on him. You wouldn’t think for a turtle to have grown up in sewer systems to find places like these tunnels to be unsettling but the thought of becoming lost was surprisingly terrifying. Especially since he was unarmed. He’d never felt so vulnerable and naked in his life.

His inner debate was cut off though at the sound of a woman’s broken voice whispering in his ear.

“Leo. . .”

He jumped sky-high and spun around, his fisted hands raising to his face in a fighting stance but all he saw were the boilers.

“Who’s there?” He called, goosebumps appearing on his flesh despite the temperature.

The woman spoke behind him again but this time he recognized the owner.

“Leo. . . over here.”

“April?” Leo turned slowly, his fists lowering. He still couldn’t see anything. _Was that really April?_ He wondered. _Had she been taken too?_

It didn’t make sense. April hadn’t been with them from what little he could remember. She had been with Casey at their apartment. They were nowhere near the crossfire. Not unless she had shown up during one of his missing pieces of memory. If that was the case, did that mean Casey was here somewhere too? Master Splinter?

Feeling a sudden rush of relief for finally finding somebody, Leo ran back through the corridors he had come from, calling out, “April? April, where are you? April!”

Leo felt a shiver crawl through his body. Had it always been this cold, or did he just go numb before? He ignored it in favor of finding his human friend.

He came upon another light fixture, little gnats flittering around it, the only other sign of life besides himself and wrapped his arms around his body to keep warm.

“April?” He called again between chattering teeth. His breath coming out in little white puffs. “Come on, this isn’t funny. Are you hurt? Do you know where the others are?”

“This way, Leo.” She whispered from the dark. He came forward, only to come face to face with a brick wall. A dead end.

_This was where she said to go, wasn’t it?_ Leo pressed a palm to his forehead, wondering if he was suffering from a concussion. He raised a hand to the brick wall, wondering if maybe she was behind it and her voice was travelling through somewhere. To his surprise, the brick was freezing to the touch. Leo tried to pull his hand back, but it remained stuck to the wall like a wet tongue to a frozen pole. His other hand grabbed his wrist and tugged a little harder. He could feel the skin on his hand pulling against his bones as if it were more attached to the wall then it was to himself. The panic from earlier made a quick return and Leo viciously yanked back his whole arm, his hand finally ripping free.

Leo hissed in pain at the sting in his palm. Clutching it to his chest, he looked back at the wall and stared horrifyingly at the hand shaped layer of forest green skin still frozen to the bricks.

The mutant turtle stumbled backwards onto the ground, his heart beating unnaturally fast in his chest, his breaths coming out in deep, rapid successions.

“You’re okay, Leo.” He told himself. Trying to calm himself down. “Y-You’re fine. You’ll get out of this. You’ll find your brothers. You’ll be alright.”

He closed his eyes and forced himself to take in slower breaths. He didn’t understand why his body was acting like this even as his mind knew that he was okay. He felt a sense of detachment, as if he was a separate soul watching his body panicking from below.

Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time had passed, Leo’s body returned to his control again. Using his none injured hand, Leo pushed himself back up to his feet. Quickly, he retraced his steps to the utility room where he warmed up almost instantly. He never wanted to leave this room again.

But April was still out there. Possibly injured, lost, and scared just as he. _Or,_ his mind rebelled. _I’m being lured into a trap. My mind isn’t working right. I’m not seeing all the possibilities. I’m probably missing vital information._

So, the next time he heard April’s voice whispering to him from one direction, he went the opposite way. The cold engulfed him when he left the utility room again but thankfully is wasn’t nearly as intense as before.  
For what felt like miles, Leonardo wandered down the labyrinth of hallways, April’s silence between whispers growing farther and farther apart the more he disobeyed, and he was beginning to worry if he had made a mistake. Perhaps that really had been April he was walking away from.

Unsure of himself now, Leo stopped in the middle of the hallway, feeling a sudden, uncontrollable urge to look behind him. He didn’t fight it. He looked back. He didn’t know what else he expected when he saw nothing but darkness still behind him, however it didn’t reassure him either.

Should he go back to the utility room? What good would that do him? Could he even remember the ways he had gone? There was no way of knowing which was right and wrong and there was no one to ask.

Finally, he decided there was no point in going back. If there was an escape anywhere, it had to be where he hadn’t already been.

He continued to walk. And walk. And walk.

Then, Leo noticed something strange in the way his feet sounded as they landed against the ground. Like an echo he hadn’t noticed before.

**Slap, clomp. Slap, clomp. Slap, clomp. Slap, clomp.**

It didn’t seem very concerning at first until the echo fell out of synch with his footfalls.

**Slap. Clomp. Slap, slap. Clomp, slap. Clomp, clomp. Slap.**

Dread speared his insides as he realized that someone was following him. He didn’t immediately react as his body urged him to do. Instead, he kept walking, pretending he still hadn’t noticed despite the seconds footsteps were way too loud not to be noticed. He listened to them, trying to draw information about his pursuer from them. They weren’t heavy, so the person was either lightweight or a female. Maybe April? But if it was April, wouldn’t she have said something already?

Maybe it was a maintenance worker who had spotted him walking about and wanted to get a better look. Of course, he was also assuming that this thing was even human at all. Over the years, Leo had gained more enemies from his own mutated kind then he had from human beings.

As they passed under another light fixture though, Leo snuck a glance at their shadows and saw the figure of a person walking directly behind him. Okay, maybe it was a human after all. He supposed that was a good thing. He had less of a chance getting out of a fight alive if it were a mutant.

Still, if it were just a curious human, he didn’t want to hurt them too badly. He just needed to incapacitate them long enough for him to disappear. A web strike to the thyroid cartilage would knock any person out for the count and if Leo distributed a controlled amount of force it should only cause moderate damage.

Leo took a deep breath, his muscles stiffening in anticipation, his mind clearing of distress to focus on this one important task. This is what he did. This was what he was good at.

Quickly and without warning, the ninja spun around to face his opponent. His hands flew up to his face, ready to strike, but to his astonishment, there was no one there. Just an empty hallway same as it always was.

A chill crept down Leo’s spine as his hands slowly dropped to his sides. He wasn’t crazy. He heard those footsteps. So where could they have gone? No one could just disappear like that. Not even expertly trained ninja could do that on the spot.

Leonardo shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore and turned to continue his journey. Freezing when he saw April standing in the middle of the hallway between dark and light, like those creepy girls from horror movies. The shadows hugged her edges, the light harsh against her sharper features and glittering off the tears that ran down her cheeks. There were dark stains on her tattered clothes that Leo prayed were not what they obviously were.

“April!” The turtle cried out for the woman as he sprinted toward her. “April, I’m so glad to see you! You had me so worried!” He was wrong. She was here, searching for him and he had ignored her. How could he be so stupid? Now she was hurt. Because of him.

The woman drew farther back into the darkness, shaking her head rapidly, her arms hugging her waist. Leo slowed to a walk. He was close now. Just a few more inches and he could touch her. He stopped before then, staring at her with concern and confusion.

April opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak, then closed it without any sound emerging.

“Are you okay? April, are you hurt?” Leo asked, reaching an arm out for his human friend. “Why aren’t you answering me?”

April drew back and turned to walk away. Fearing losing her, Leo lunged to grab her, but his hand only caught air.

“April?” He called out. “April!”

No one answered him. He looked around wildly for the redhead, but he was in between two light fixtures and could barely see the walls next to him. She couldn’t have disappeared too. She was right there in front of him!

“Why?” April’s voice whispered next to his ear. Realizing that was the word she was mouthing earlier.

Leo wanted to turn towards her but didn’t want to frighten her away again, so he stayed right where he was, staring at the next light fixture, only a pinpoint in the dark.

“Why what?” He asked.

“Why did you leave me?” She answered.

Leo frowned. “I. . . I didn’t leave you.”

“ **LIAR**!” She shrieked in his ear, making it ring. Leo gave a cry of pain, slapping a hand against his temple. He turned around but again, she was gone. Or was she even there to begin with? Perhaps the cold and the panic were getting to him. Perhaps he was going delusional and this was all in his head. It would make more sense than her disappearing and reappearing randomly like some specter or ghost.

Something touched him to his right. He turned around. Nothing there.

“STOP TOYING WITH ME!” Leo screamed, his voice bouncing off the walls. Another touch.

He took off running down the hall. From behind him, he could hear April sobbing. He ignored the jab of guilt in his chest. Repeating to himself that this wasn’t real. He was hallucinating. He just needed to get a grip. He needed to find the exit.

However, the farther he seemed to get from her, the louder she got. Her sobs turned to hysterical wailing that seemed to be coming from within him rather than around him since his hands were clutching his head.

Another pipe burst next to his head, startling Leo so bad he tripped over his own feet and crashed to the ground, choking for air. His skin scraped against the concrete, his skull ricocheting off the floor with a painful **crack** that sent light exploding in his vision. Unfortunately, he wasn’t knocked unconscious.

Leonardo laid there, wheezing, exhausted, cold and wondering if he allowed himself to sleep right here if he would wake up back home with his brothers who would make fun of him for his stupid dream and his father who would wrap him in a warm hug and tell him he had nothing to be afraid of. In the back of his mind, he knew if he slept, he probably wouldn’t be waking up at all but it took him a moment to find a reason why that would be so bad.

“Leonardo.” A deep, accented voice spoke next to him. Calming down his anxiety. “Leonardo, wake up my son. You have work to do.”

Leo moaned, opening his eyes he couldn’t remember ever closing. Sitting in front of his face was a little rat. Its beady, black eyes stared at him curiously, its whiskers twitching as it sniffed him.

Then, the rat’s jaws opened, and it said, “Leonardo, get up! I know you can do better than this! GET UP!”

Leo stared blankly at the rat; his brain too slow to process what he was seeing. The rat crawled closer and bit him on the nose.

Leo yelped and sat up, holding his bloodied nose and glaring angrily at the rat who squeaked and scampered away.

He was, depressingly, still in the tunnels, he noted as he got back to his feet. The pipe that had conveniently broke at his passing ran out of steam to blow. Somebody must have shut it off at some point but if that were the case than there had to be a switch to do that somewhere nearby, right?

Leo was about to continue his trek when he heard crackling. Whatever it was, it was too far away to see so he chose to ignore it and moved on. The crackling only grew louder, and Leo paused to glance back. The light fixture he was standing underneath of reflected off whatever was creeping toward him.

Leo’s eyes widened as he realized it was ice accumulating on the brick walls and floors at unimaginable speeds, cracking open the pipes like eggshells where they would steam for two seconds before that froze over as well.

Adrenaline surged into Leo’s veins, forcing him to run away from the crawling ice even as his brain screamed at him that this was impossible. He weaved through the hallways, not caring which direction he was going anymore, just needing to get away from the ice, but the ice kept up a good pace with him. Still only a few feet away from his heels. He could feel a cold breeze kissing his shell, sapping away his body heat. His fingers and toes had gone numb and blue and his breath abandoned him in clouds.

He remembered turning left. Right. Left. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Then skidded to a stop as he came up on another dead end.

“FUCK! NO!” Leo yelled, slamming his fists into the wall as if he could break it down with his brute strength. Certainly, Raph could’ve done that.

Leo watched in horror as his blue fingertips turned black and slowly spread to the rest of his arms. He hid his hands beneath his armpits and pressed his shell against the wall, his terrified eyes staring helplessly at the ice that gradually cornered him. It slowed down a lot, seeming to want to take its time now that it had him where it wanted him.

But that was ridiculous, right? Like ice could think.

Leo hunkered down to the floor, tucking his head behind his legs like a child hiding from a monster, waiting for hypothermic death to take him. He hoped it wasn’t too painful. He hoped he would just go numb and sleepy.

Then, the crackling stopped. The world falling completely silent save for the teenager’s soft cries. Reluctantly, Leo lifted his head and saw the lights were whole and working again where the ice had shattered it. The ice itself was gone. Leo looked at his limbs and sighed with relief to see that they too were back to normal color and feeling warmer.

The blue banded turtle stood on shaky legs and stumbled cautiously down the hall. He felt god awful. He wanted nothing more than to retreat into his shell and forget about this whole mess.

He reminded himself of his brothers, wondering if they were going through this hell too. He needed to find them, but he was struggling just to help himself.

Leo swore he heard whispers coming from his left, but he tuned it out. Refusing to indulge in his imaginations sick sense of humor again. Another, different voice, began responding to his right as if the two voices were in a conversation but what they were talking about, Leo couldn’t decipher. Their words jumbled up by the echo. Then a third voice jumped in from behind Leo. Then another. And another. Until there were voices all around him, blurred together to create one loud chattering hum as if he was walking through a crowded mall, demanding to be heard.

“STOP!” Leo shouted but he could barely hear his own voice overtop theirs. “STOP IT! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! GET THE FUCK OUT!”

They didn't stop.

Leo broke into another run even though his body was drained of energy. This time though, the voices didn’t chase after him much to his relief, until all was silent once again. Leo sniffled, his nerves fried, his emotions compromised, his body broken.

_I just want to go home._

“You can’t leave, Leo.” A female voice responded to his thoughts. Not April this time, but Karai. He didn’t think he would see her when he looked but there she was, standing there, looking smug, arms held out.

“This _is_ your home now.”

Leo growled, lowly. “What? What do you want from me?”

Instead of answering, Karai giggled girlishly and vanished in between his blinks.

“No.” He snarled. “No! Get the hell back here and answer me! DAMN YOU!”

Crying. April was crying again. He thought about running away but knew there was no point to it. They would always find him.

Sluggishly, he trudged towards the noise feeling uncaring towards it now. If this really was April, she was going to need to get the fuck over herself before he would help her.

Turning the corner, Leo was startled to find a little wooden door. _An exit?_ His mind thought hopefully. Did he dare allow himself to hope?

Leo placed his hand on the doorknob and turned, the hinges creaking with age as he pushed it open.

The door didn’t lead to an outside but into another room, smaller than the utility one from before. On the other side was another door but Leo wasn’t interested in what laid beyond it as his eyes locked onto the grizzly scene before him.

In the center of the room, laying in a dark pool of blood, was Leonardo’s lifeless, mutilated versions of his little brothers. Their arms were loosely wrapped around each other like they died in a group hug, their eyes still open and staring at a threat that was long gone now. Off to the side, April kneeled beside the massacre, her head buried in her hands and her body, covered not in _her_ blood as he first assumed, but his brothers’ blood, shook violently with her sobs.

Leo made a weird choking, gasping sound that seemed to clog in his throat, summoning April’s head to raise.

“Why?” She whispered again with trembling lips. Leo struggled with words.

“Why what?” He repeated his earlier response.

“Why did you leave us?” She sniffled and wiped her nose with her hand, leaving a streak of red across her upper lip. “W-Why didn’t you come with me? W-We n-needed you and you walked away.”

Leo opened his mouth but all that left him was a shallow breath. What could he say? He _hadn’t_ believed her. He had thought she was a figment of an unstable imagination. He had gotten mad at her because he didn’t understand what she wanted from him when all she was trying to do was help his brothers.

“You may not have killed them, b-but you left them to die.” April mumbled. Her head hung from her shoulders, her red hair spilling like a curtain around her face. Her hand slid to the side, pale fingers snaking around the handle of a sai, Raphael’s chosen weapon, and lifted it up.

Leo watched, an unsettling feeling weighing in his stomach. He realized with alarm what her intentions were as she raised the deadly weapon into the air, blade pointing down at her.

“APRIL, NO!” He shouted, lunging for the weapon.

The woman tossed a dark look at him and swung the butt of the sai against his cheek, knocking him down.

“FUCK YOU!” She screamed.

He jerked his head up, his vision swimming, but it was already too late. The blade had been buried deep into her chest cavity, blood spurting from around the foreign object. April gasped, coughed wetly, struggled for breath for several agonizingly long minutes before she collapsed next to his brothers. The pool of blood spreading farther.

Leonardo stood there for an innumerable amount of time, soaking in the ramifications of his poor decisions before finally coaxing himself to move, stumbling like a zombie over to them. He kneeled next to where April was, his trembling hands reaching out to grasp the cold, stiff hands of Donatello and Michelangelo. He pressed his forehead against Raphael’s motionless chest and squeezed his eyes shut.

This couldn’t be real. This wasn’t real. He may have thought at one point that this was real, but he was only lying to himself because his brothers couldn’t be dead. They just couldn’t. He promised his father when he granted him the honor of being their leader, that he would protect them at all costs. He couldn’t fail them. He couldn’t live with that mistake.

_It’s a nightmare._

_Just a nightmare._

_It’ll be over soon and I’ll wake up in my bed. In my home._

_They’ll be alive. Happy._

_God, please let them be alive and happy._

Tears began leaking out from between Leo’s lids, burning paths down his cheeks and dripping off his chin. His body trembled with sobs he tried in vain to keep at bay. He couldn’t mourn them, for if he mourned than he was admitting that this wasn’t a dream and his brothers, his family, was dead. Leaving him, the last mutant turtle on Earth, alone.

“I’m sorry.” Leonardo whispered to them. Willing them to respond. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I thought. . . I couldn’t. . . please, please wake up. Don’t leave me alone. I can’t do this by myself. Please.”

For hours. Or maybe days. He cried and held his brothers. The scent of copper was seared into his nose now and absorbed into his skin. Several times, Leonardo’s eyes contemplated the twin sai still tucked into Raphael’s belt but this time, he wiggled his hand out from Mikey’s rigamortis grip and tugged out the weapon.

He held it in his hand for a while. Twirling it around. Watching the light glimmer off its sharp blade. Slowly, he raised the weapon, but didn’t point it towards his chest as April had done. No, it would’ve been impossible to drive it through his plastron and ribcage to the heart beneath. Instead, Leo pressed the sai against his jugular, the blade sharpened so much that it cut the first few layers of skin without any pressure. It would be easy. So easy.

Leo’s glassy eyes flickered over to the mysterious door on the other side of the room, briefly wondering what laid beyond it. Freedom? More maze? Leo would never find out.

Karai was right.

This was his home now.

His family was here. So, here is where he will stay.

It didn’t take much. Just a swift jerk of the wrist and he felt warmth running down his neck, his chest, his legs. It didn’t even sting. Resisting his survival instincts to fight off death, to panic, to call for help, Leo grabbed Mikey’s hand again and laid down on Raph’s chest, allowing his life to seep out of him.

He wondered if he would see them again. Wherever one went after death. He wondered if they would forgive him if he did.

He took in one last ragged, blood-filled breath, savoring the precious oxygen in his lungs before he released it into the world. Counting the seconds of remaining consciousness before he closed his eyes for the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another draft I had done a while back and decided to rewrite a couple days ago, ended up finishing it a day before Halloween and thought it would perfect for it. 
> 
> I've considered a part 2 since there is actually a lot more context to this then I first revealed but I'll let my readers decide if they want another part or if it is good as it is. I have a feeling no one is going to want me to leave it like this though. Lol
> 
> This is not my first death fic I've wrote but it is the first one I've posted on this site, so I'm anxious to see the types of reactions I get from this. I tried to make this sound surreal and have the reader feel as lost as Leo was, but I'm honestly not sure if I managed that. Constructive criticism is always welcomed! 
> 
> This was also inspired from the song, _Get Out Alive by Three Days Grace_ that set up the atmosphere and the Indie horror game _Vanish by 3DrunkMen_ that set up the location. Go check these things out because I love them! 
> 
> Happy Halloween folks! :D


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